Saturday, March 15, 2014
Executive (Omni Shoreham)
Discussions of the politics of immigration in Europe have tended to focus on the apparent success of Radical Right Parties (RRP) in exploiting migration-related issues such as immigration, asylum and integration. A particular focus has been on the potential impact of RRPs upon mainstream political parties as the latter toughen their policies in response. The extent of such “contagion” on centre right and centre left parties has been much debated. However, radical left parties have received relatively little attention in this debate. As significant niche players in many European countries, such parties face a difficult dilemma in positioning themselves on migration related issues. On the one hand they can be seen as invoking an inclusive politics of solidarity, universalism and diversity against the trend towards more restrictive policies. On the other, they may share at least some sources of support with RRPs (notably the traditional working class) and a concern about the effects of immigration on those sources of support. Drawing upon interviews with party politicians from radical left parties in Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands and Sweden, the paper explores the way in which they have responded to this dilemma, particularly in those countries where RRPs have been successful.
